JAPAN|CLICK

So. You Wanna Fit In.

Yeah, don’t. Look we’re named “get lost travel magazine” do you really think we want you to fit in? No. We want you to question your sanity, question your sexuality, question your taste in music in the 8th grade, question everything. Travel is not a safe space, if it is, you’re doing it wrong. Through challange comes discovery and growth, and Japan is the final boss level.

We’re not gonna tell you the top 5 things not to say in Japanese. We’re not gonna tell you not to say “Hai” whenever someone gives you something. We’re not gonna tell you the right or wrong way to use chopsticks or why that word sounds so very wrong when you say it out-loud. We’ll let you figure all that out for yourself, or not, because Japan is polite to a fault and will still send you a Christmas card even if you clog their toilet at the party.

Instead we’re gonna talk about some of the more, let’s say, unique facets of Japanese (counter) culture. Some things that aren’t useful, but will perhaps wet your appetite to bite off a bigger chunk of culture. Something, dare we say, you can … get lost into.

While the streets of Tokyo buzz with neon lights and vending machines offering everything from hot coffee to who-knows-what, there’s a side of Japanese culture that travelers tend to raise an eyebrow at but are too polite (or too confused) to ask about: the curious, complex world of **Japanese sex work culture**.

Now, let me stop you right there. You’re not about to stumble across a seedy red-light district the way you might in, say, Amsterdam. No, Japan’s approach to this is far more subtle and wrapped in layers of nuance that you’ll need a flowchart to decode. Welcome to the land of **hostess clubs**, **soaplands**, and **host clubs**, where you can pay for someone’s attention, but the actual line between innocent flirting and...more is as blurry as your memory after a night of too much sake.

Take the **hostess clubs**, for example. Here, you don’t pay for anything physical—just someone’s undivided, charming attention while you sip your overpriced drink. Think of it as paying for a date, except you’re fully aware they’re being paid to laugh at your jokes. It’s a strange mix of theater and social lubricant, but somehow, it works.

And then there are **soaplands**, where things get, well, cleaner—but not in the way you’re thinking. These establishments offer a “full-body wash” experience, and while they skirt the edges of legality, they’re still a gray area in Japan’s regulatory framework. Soapland is Japan’s answer to the question, “What if your bath was a little more...interesting?”

Japan’s nightlife scene is not so much about blatant transactions as it is about performance, mystery, and maintaining a respectable illusion. It’s a complicated dance, one that outsiders can watch from the sidelines—but remember, discretion and respect are the names of the game here.

So, while you might be curious, tread carefully, and always with respect for a culture that thrives on subtlety. Trust me, Japan’s nightlife will remain mysterious enough to keep you guessing, but maybe that’s part of its charm.